Antislip shoe sole



June 9, i925. Llf

H. A. MCKNIGHT ET AL ANTISLIP SHOE SOLE Filed Feb 20, 1924 ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 9, 1925.

UNITED' STATES 1,541,234 PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY ALFRED NICKNIGHT AND FRANK ELLIS BURNS, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALI- FORNIA.

ANTISLIP SHOE soLE.

Application filed February 20, 1924. Serial No. 694,046.

To ZZ whom t may concern."

te it known that we, HARRY ALFRED McKNioH'r and FRANK ELUS BURNS, citizens of the United States, and both residents of San Francisco, county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented a new and useful Antislip Shoe Sole, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wearing soles for shoes and other footwear, of the t vpe provided with means to prevent the user from slipping.

The objects of the invention are to provide soles of the character outlined made of any suitable material or composition. prefer.

ably by the vuleanizing method, which will yield an elastic or resilient, cushion like, durable sole and incorporate therein a reinforcing rib and anti-'slip structure which will prevent slipping in any direction on wet, icy or other slipperv surfaces.

)Ve attain the above desirable objects in the special sole construction shown in the accompanying drawings and in which:

Figure l is a plan view of our sole as seen from the active surface thereof.

Figure 2 is a cross section along the line 2-2, ot' Figure. l. and .Figure 3 a cross section along the line 3 3. y

Figure 4 is an enlarged section ot the ribs.4

To giveI a clear understanding to the drawings and distinguish from the prior a1-t, it should be stated that our invention lies principally in the manner of ribbing the surface of the sole, of an arrangement of vacuum pockets having an angular relation to the longitudinalaxisf the sole, an angular arrangement of ribs within the pockets, and an air or water escape channel for water which would otherwise be forced into the pockets to destroy the vacuum.

ln the drawings (l) represents the outer level of the sole taking the form of a rela,- tively wide outer margin .connected by angular ribs (1') to an inner rib (1") forming a loop partly around a central channel (2). This central channel is principally to provide au escape for water or air ordinarily 'imprisoned between the sole and the pavement.

The channel (2) has a transversely extending portion (3) at the forward end of the sole and terminates rearwardly in a widened' discharge channel open to both (12) are curved.

side edges of the beveled rear end of the sole. Vacuum pockets (5), ((3), (7), (8), (5)), (10) and (11) lie between the outer margin and ribs as shown and the angulaiarrangement relative to the center line of the sole insures the gradual uncovering of', or placing of the pockets in position against thel pavement during the act of walkin".

lt should also be observed that the angle ot the pockets (5), ((3), and (T) is reversed as against that of (8), (9) and (10). This provides reverse angularly disposed ribs (1') and the forward pocket (11) terminates against a pair of lsuch ribs having lesser angularity, in -fact forn'iing almost a right angle crossing with the center line.

)Vithin the vacuum pockets are small V .shaped ribs (122) with their apexes termi,- nating on a plane below the level of the outer margin (1) and ribs (1'), (1"). These V ribs (1Q) it will be observed are placed at an angle to the ribs (1') and are reversed on opposite sides of the center line A so that they extend at a reversed angle from the center line to the angle of the ribs.

Particular attention is drawn to the fact that the bases of all ribs (1'), (1") and This is important asl all these ribs being narrow the constant tlexure in use would otherwise speedily crack them ott', but at the base of the wide Inarginal rib it is not so important, due to the much wider connection of this marginal rib to the body of the sole.

In Figure t the base curves (13) ot' the smallest and intermediate ribs are shown in an enlarged representation.

The ribs (12) being below the surface of the surrounding rib surface do not form separate Vacuum chambers as they do not touch the pavement at their junctures with the larger ribs. but on account of the `vielding nature of the sole they do contact the pavement .in the central area of the pockets and assist to prevent slipping and cooperate with the edges of the larger ribs.

By reason of the various angles of the larger ribs elongated corner edges are presented at right angles to almost any slippingr movement which the foot wearing such a sole might make, which combining with the vacuum pull of the pockets and the small ribs clfectunlly prevents slipping in any direction.

The water or air channel (2) cooperates that the spaces can function properly. This to prevent slipping by draining the sole so drainage.Y channel is closed atthe forward end and discharges at the rear and rear sides only, thus avoiding forward or sidewise'ejection of the water or mnd with 1ts attendingY nuisance, as with our arrangement the force of the ejection is 4broken by the heefbefore being ejected laterally.

The broad marginal rib (l) `has a multiple function, it takes the heavy wear,

forms a-protective 'tie fo`r thesmall-antislip ribs Within' it and also provides the necessary trimming material tomalre the sole practicable in meeting the exact shape and size of a shoe within reasonable limits.

The aforesaid centralchannel 2in addition to the details of construction hereinbefore referred to, is, in fact, bounded byparallel sides or the inner ribs l, and what we call a connecting web B, the latter forming an integral part of the material of which the sole is formed. ln consequence thereof, any air or water that finds ingress to the channel is held ina very effective manner against lateral displacement. We find that by closing the front end of the channel and opening the rear end thereof and by constitutingv a principal boundary for the channel consisting of the parallel ribs l, and the connectingl web A, the entire channel acts in practice very much in the manner of a pump; When the sole is worn it naturally follows that the cent ral part thereof is the first to contact with thesurface against which it is brought, and as the front end of the channel 2y is closed and its rear end open, the so-called pump action automatically takes place and as the sole follows .its position toward a horizontal against the surface upon which it is brought the channel becomes gradually closed on all sides' except for its rear end, vwhere there is free escape of any air or water that is entrapped therein. It'now follows that having displaced the water, the anti-slip features of the sole both at-the front and at the maximum'measure of buoyancy to the sole,y

which otherwise could not be had unless for free displacement centrally of the;air and yincluding a longitudinal channel closed at `its front end, open at its rear and provided with parallel sides vand a'conuecting web. the latter forming an integral part of the sole.

2.- sole. formed of elastic material'and provided at itsfrontportion andalong two sides respectively with recesses, each of said recesses having spaced apart ribs, the sole having a longitudinal channel closed at one end and open at its opposite end and connected to the body. of the sole by a web forming an integral part of said sole, the

said channel functioning through its closed front end and its open opposite end to permit of the effective displacement of-air or water from points about the aforesaid recesses so as to permit the ribs of the recesses to satisfactorily function when the sole is broughtin contact with a surface.

3. A sole formed of elastic material provided on its wearing surface with toe recesses and a plurality of side recesses,the

said plurality of side recesses being separated from each other by a longitudinal channel closed at its front by the toe recesses and open at its rear end and closed at.I its sides by the side recesses, the toe recesses each provi-ded with a series of angularly disposed ribs, the ribs of the respective toe recesses arranged in'diverging relation to a point medially of the sole, and the said side recesses each formed with a plurality of augularly disposed ribs extending rcspectiveliY at opposite angles to the ribs in the said toe recesses, the ribs in al1 of' said recesses beingy normally below the plane of the wearing surface of the sole.

HARRY ALFRED MCKNTGH'I. FRANK ELLTS BURNS.

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